Baseball turns its attention to Adderall as analysis shows more players gaining exemptions for ADD

Major League Baseball banned amphetamines in 2006, but players still apparently feel the need for speed.

Thirteen players tested positive for the amphetamine-based drug Adderall in the past season, and 105 were granted exemptions for attention deficit disorder, for which Adderall is frequently prescribed. The exemptions excuse players in advance for banned substances they take on doctor's orders.

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The numbers, published in the third annual report of the league's drug program administrator, roughly mirrored those of the previous two seasons. There were 106 ADD exemptions in 2008, and 108 in 2009. That represents about 10% of MLB players, suggesting that the big leagues either have a disproportionately high number of distractible players, or that taking amphetamine-based drugs remains a popular method of staying alert during a long and grueling season.

Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, warned against comparing the medical needs of MLB rosters to those of the general population.

"The fact is, when you have a population, you can't take numbers that are male, female, rich, poor, black, white and apply them to a population that is extremely wealthy, very young and all male, and say 'Gee that's a good comparison,'" said Manfred.

Baseball's laboratory analyzed 3,747 urine samples and detected only two banned substances: clomid, frequently used in conjunction with steroids, and anavar, a steroid. A blind spot in the testing program remains human growth hormone, which is nearly undetectable even in blood samples. Among professional sports, only minor league baseball requires players to submit blood, although Manfred said blood testing at the major league level will be a topic at next year's collective bargaining sessions.